2017 Vine Starr Zinfandel, Sonoma County

Our Vine Starr Zinfandel has been lauded by drinkers and critics alike as a multi-dimensional restrained Zinfandel that re-imagines what you come to expect from the California varietal.

VARIETAL: Zinfandel

VINEYARD: Arrowhead Mountain + Buck Hill Vineyard

LOCATION: Sonoma Valley (Arrowhead) + Russian River (Buck Hill)

ALCOHOL: 12.5%

TOTAL PRODUCTION: 1211 cases

WINEMAKER’S NOTES:

Picked at low brix to highlight acidity, nerve, and fruit on the bright-red spectrum of Zinfandel. Essential aromatics of bramble-brush and spice remind us what we're drinking, but the palate, alive with fresh mouth-watering acidity and subtle nuances of fruit are a departure from the expected. Delicacy, finesse - a distilled, pure eau-de-vie focus of flavor has invigorated our fondness for this often less-than-magnificent variety. Inspired by the wines from Beaujolais and Northern Rhone, we harvested early to highlight acidity and fresh fruit. 100% destemmed and fermented in 5-ton stainless steel tanks. Aged for 10 months in neutral French oak barrels.

VITICULTURAL AREA:

50/50 blend of Arrowhead and Buck Hill, which both have volcanic soil. Both vineyards have low intervention farming practices using no chemicals or sulfur. For 2017, we added a plot from Buck Hill’s white volcanic ash hillside terrace for the first time.

All of our wines are made naturally, meaning no use of inoculated yeasts or bacteria. We use only native yeast to spark fermentation. We do not add any powdered tannins or enzymes. A minimal dose of S02 is added 4 weeks before bottling to some wines.